Ministry aims to control prices of medicines

THE Health Ministry is in the midst preparing a proposal to control the prices of medicines through the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011, says Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad

(pic).

The Health Minister said the proposed price control mechanism was to determine the ceiling price for consumers at all dispensaries, in line with international best practice standards.

“The move will indirectly standardise the prices of medicine and ensure that the access to medicine is affordable to the people.

“We are concerned with the people’s welfare, especially the lower-income group, as well as industry players and medical practitioners,” he said in reply to Charles Santiago (Pakatan-Klang) who asked if the ministry intends to assist the local generic medicine industry as a step towards bringing down the prices.

Dr Dzulkefly said the government always encourages efforts to use affordable generic medicine in the public sector by prioritising the ones manufactured locally.

He said the procurement of medicines by the ministry was based on the principles of public accountability, best values, as well as open, fair and just competition.

“The procurement is done through open tender and the appointment of concession companies, based on existing regulations.

“The buying of medicine through import will be considered only when it cannot be sourced locally,” he said.

Last year, Dr Dzulkefly said 53.6% of generic medicines were procured and that 50.3% of them were locally manufactured.

He added that priority was given to locally manufactured generic medicines but admitted that the prices could be slightly higher.

“The economy of scale cannot be reached so the prices of locally produced generic medicines cannot compete with those from overseas. Sometimes, the prices of local generic medicines are more expensive because the raw materials are imported.

“It’s difficult for local generic drugs to compete because they don’t have the export market,” he said.